Goslings

A serviceable ginger beer that fulfills its primary purpose as a mixer for a Dark n’ Stormy very well. Its an oddly smoky bouquet with a light trace of ginger. It has a modest spice that trails off quickly at the end.

Judges score

People's rating

Goslings has always made the preferred rum in a Dark n’ Stormy. In the past it’s always been noted to use Barritts Ginger Beer in the official D&S recipe. But all that changed in May of 2009 when Goslings released their own ginger beer. In partnership with Polar Beverages of Massachusetts, who actually produces the stuff, they’ve started to flood the market and I’ve easily been able to find this ginger at BevMo and many SF bars such as the Elbow Room. With all the hype surrounding this new entry, our tasters were excited to see how ‘Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer’ would hold up.

A great way to acquaint yourself with a ginger is to get your nose into it. Does the ginger clear out your sinuses? How about the carbonated bubbles, are they tickling that spot above your lip? As for Goslings we noticed an oddly smokey bouquet with a light trace of ginger. Stare into the glass and you’ll notice a slight yellow hue. Take your fist sip and you’ll notice a trace of chalky texture, reminiscent of a stone brew – although it’s not. The ginger flavor (a 3 on the spice scale) is modest and trails off very quickly at the end. Goslings has crafted a “serviceable” ginger beer and it fulfills its primary purpose as a mixer for a D&S very well. But it falls short of the favorites from our previous tastings.